1. Field of the Disclosure
The subject disclosure relates to implantable spinal stabilization systems for surgical treatment of spinal disorders, and more particularly, to a plating system for use in the treatment of the lumbar and thoracic spine.
2. Background of the Related Art
The spinal column is a complex system of bones and connective tissue which protects critical elements of the nervous system. Despite these complexities, the spine is a highly flexible structure, capable of a high degree of curvature and twist through a wide range of motion. Trauma or developmental irregularities can result is spinal pathologies which limit this range of motion.
The use of fixation plates for the treatment of spinal disorders has grown considerably over the years. Fixation plates are commonly employed to maintain spinal elements such as vertebrae in a desired spatial relationship to aid in healing or the correction of a spinal disorder. Examples of prior art spinal fixation plates are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,290 to Steffee; U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,751 to Farris et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,910 to Warden et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,176 to Hildebrandt et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,553 to Trebling et al.
In general, prior art fixation plates such as these, have a rigid inflexible construction which is difficult to conform to the anterior surfaces of the vertebrae which form the spinal column. Thus, it is often necessary for a surgeon to bend or contort a plate to conform to the anterior surfaces of the vertebrae during a surgical procedure. This adds to the duration and complexity of the procedure.
It would be desirable to provide a spinal fixation plate that has a higher degree of flexibility than spinal fixation plates found in the prior art, so as to enable a surgeon to easily conform the plate to the anterior surfaces of the spinal vertebrae during a surgical procedure, thereby reducing the duration and complexity of the procedure.